


Painting Flowers

by majestyrose



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Artist Keith (Voltron), Florist Lance (Voltron), Keith and Shiro are Adoptive Siblings, M/M, Soulmate AU, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-07
Updated: 2018-01-14
Packaged: 2018-12-24 23:15:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12023094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/majestyrose/pseuds/majestyrose
Summary: Everyone knows that you are born with an uncolored tattoo of what your soulmate is passionate about somewhere on your body. Once you talk to your soulmate for the first time, it becomes colored. For Keith, his tattoo was an imprint of a flower. Ever since then, he's been painting flowers, waiting for the day he meets his soulmate.*DISCONTINUED BECAUSE I LOST MOTIVATION FOR THIS FIC AND I FUCKED UP*





	1. Golden Hour

The sun was setting and it was the golden hour of the day. By the window in his bedroom, Keith was painting on his easel. Specifically, he was painting flowers.

Everyone knows that you are born with an uncolored tattoo of what your soulmate is passionate about somewhere on your body. Once you talk to your soulmate for the first time, it becomes colored. For Keith, his tattoo was on his right wrist and it was an imprint of a flower. He didn't know what type of flower it was, but it looked quite beautiful, even if it wasn't colored. Keith didn't know what the flower meant, perhaps it meant his soulmate was a florist? He would be lying to himself if he said he hasn't spent hours, maybe days, just thinking about his potential other. 

Keith Kogane is a 20 year-old student attending Altea University, majoring in art. He lives in an apartment in Seattle with his older brother, Shiro. Takashi Shirogane, or Shiro as Keith liked to call him, was Keith's step-brother, though he always thought of him as a brother. Keith's parents died in a car accident on a rainy day, leaving Keith, who was only five years old at that time, to be all by himself. He didn't have any family members living in the states, so he was sent to an orphanage. A few months after living in the orphanage, the Shirogane family adopted Keith and the rest is history. Shiro worked as a police officer and was busy most of the time, so Keith doesn't really see him around as often as he did when he was a high school student. 

Right now, Keith's mind was only set on painting. He's been painting flowers his whole life and he was given the opportunity due to a professor's recommendation to display his pieces in the upcoming art exhibit at his university. In less than a week, Keith would show the world, or rather the city of Seattle, his paintings of flowers. He painted a variety of flowers; roses, carnations, lilies, you name it. It's crazy how a soulmate can affect a person's life. 

Sitting on a stool wearing a red sweater and black joggers, Keith moved his paintbrush across the canvas. His bedroom was tinted with orange from the sunset and it was quite mesmerizing. Just as he was picking up a different brush, he heard his door creak open.

"How's my favorite brother doing?" said a familiar voice.

Keith scoffed, "Shiro, I'm your  _only_ brother."

Shiro let out a laugh, "Which makes _you_ an automatic favorite. Anyways, I got you a cup of coffee. You've been painting nonstop these past few days."

Putting his equipment down, Keith looked at Shiro. He was wearing his uniform and was two cups of coffee. Keith let out a stretch before standing up to follow Shiro to go to the living room.

They sat down on the couch and Shiro handed Keith his coffee, which was black. 

Taking a sip of out his cup, Shiro asked, "How's your art piece going?"

Circling the rim of his cup, Keith said, "It's going well. A few more details and I'll finally finish all of my pieces for the art exhibit. Are you coming?"

"Of course I am, I have to support my little brother! Speaking of which, what's the theme of your artworks again?"

Without realizing it, Keith let out a smile and looked at his wrist.

"Flowers."

Shiro stopped midway of drinking his coffee to stare at his brother. Setting his cup down on the coffee table, he put his hands on his heart.

"That was so sweet, you're going to make me cry." Keith immediately looked at his brother and flushed, "Shiro! Stop acting like a dad! Oh my god!" Shiro went over to Keith and ruffled his hair, "I can't help it! My little brother was thinking of his soulmate when he was painting! I'm go-"

Keith, while holding his cup, shot up from his seat and headed back to his room. "I'm  _not_ dealing with this today. Goodbye!" 

"WAIT, KE-"

He shut his door and stood still for a second or two before sliding down against his door. He took a sip of the black coffee and couldn't help but think of the soulmate he was destined to be with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I hoped you enjoyed my first fanfic :D  
> Sorry, I know it's kind of messy but maybe it'll get better as the chapters go by? We shall see...  
> Next chapter will be placed at the university!  
> Until next time?


	2. Syringa Vulgaris

-

 **_BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP_ **    

It was a Monday and Keith was awoken by the blaring sound of his alarm on his phone. With a groan, he turned the alarm off and went back to sleep.

 

That was his first mistake.

 

This time, Keith woke up from the sound of someone pounding on his bedroom door.

"KEITH! WAKE UP OR YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE FOR CLASS!" yelled a voice, presumably Shiro.

Keith opened his eyes groggily and groaned. He grabbed his phone from his beside table and looked at the time.

 

It was 7:45 a.m. and class started in _fifteen_ minutes.

 

"FUCK!" yelled Keith as he scurried out of bed, almost slipping, and headed into the bathroom. He quickly brushed his teeth and threw on a black t-shirt with black ripped jeans. His hair was certainly a mess right now, but he paid no attention to it. Keith grabbed his red backpack and threw open his bedroom door and ran to the kitchen.

Shiro was there in his police uniform and making his coffee. By the look on his face, he was quite amused by the state Keith was in.

"Good morning. Want some breakfast?" asked Shiro as he poured his coffee into his mug.

Keith glared at him before putting on his converse. "I really gotta go. I'll just buy something to eat after my chemistry."

Shiro sighed, "What's the point of an alarm if you're not going to use it?"

Keith put one hand up and laughed, "I'm doing my best, okay? Anyways, I’m heading out. I'll see you later."

"Aren't you forgetting something?" said Shiro, taking a sip from his mug.

Was he forgetting something? He had his school supplies and phone with him. What could Shiro be talking about?

Then, it hit him. He almost left without his last painting for the exhibit. Keith ran back to his room and grabbed his painting, which was bordered with a golden frame, and headed out the door before saying one last goodbye to his brother.

It was a good thing that Keith lived relatively close to Altea University. It was a five minute walk away. By the time he got there, he had five minutes left to go into his first class of the day, which was chemistry. Keith sped walk to his class and was practically panting as he sat down in his usual seat. He closed his eyes and tried to regulate his breathing.

 

"Wow, you look like shit." said a voice.

 

Keith perked up and turned his head to his left. It's the one and only, Katie Holt, or Pidge as they preferred to be called.

Pidge was a genius. They were only seventeen years old and they were already attending college. Keith found out about Pidge due to the fact they were siblings with one of Shiro's friends, Matt.

It turned out that Pidge was in his literacy class and after a project on Shakespeare, they've been friends ever since. As for Pidge's soulmate tattoo, he didn't know. Keith had been meaning to ask Pidge about their soulmate tattoo, but every time he brought it up, Pidge would brush it off.

Keith could see that Pidge was trying their best not to laugh at him, obviously failing.

"I woke up late, and yes, I made the mistake of going back to sleep after my alarm went off," Keith said with a sigh.

"You're such a dumbass sometimes, it's sad." Pidge chuckled as they pushed the frames of their glasses back.

"Shut up. Anyway, do you want to grab a bite after class? I haven't had any breakfast and I am _starving_."

“Sure. I suppose you'll drop off your painting before we go eat, right? Oh! I have this place that I've been wanting to go. My friend, Hunk, works there. I've been meaning to introduce you to him, so this would be the perfect opportunity."

Pidge talked about Hunk before. Apparently he is a God when it comes to cooking. Keith couldn't wait to meet him.

"Sounds like a plan."

The professor showed up, gave everyone a monotone greeting, and informed the class that they were going to take notes.

This morning was going to be _long._

 

-

 

Class was finally over. Keith and Pidge put away their belongings before walking out the door to go to the art professor's classroom.

They were strolling through the campus. Pidge was on their phone, as always, texting in a meme group chat full of their internet friends while Keith was enjoying the view with his right hand grasping onto the frame of his painting.

By the time they reached the door to the art professor’s classroom, they heard someone screaming.

 

“OH QUIZNAK!”

 

Pidge looked at Keith, “What in the world?”

Keith gave Pidge an assuring smile and opened the door. Inside was the professor, or Coran, the head of the art program at Altea. Coran had ginger hair and the snazziest mustache Keith has ever seen. He was a strange man, but he made art class fun.

Right now, the professor was working on a painting. Seeing that there were two mugs alongside each other on his desk, Keith could only assume that Coran accidentally drank out of his paint cup.

“Uh, Coran? Are you alright?” asked Keith.

Coran moved his head towards Keith with an agonized expression. “I’m fine, just had the occasional mix up of mugs.”

Keith awkwardly chuckled, “Yeah, it happens to all of us. I’m here to turn in my last painting for the exhibit.”

Coran walked towards Keith as Keith handed over his floral painting. “It’s absolutely beautiful! I’m in love with the intricate details and the pale violet color is very enchanting.. If you don’t mind me asking, what kind of flowers are these?”

“These flowers? I think they’re lilies. My neighbor has these potted flowers on their windowsill so I just referenced from them.”

Coran jumped, “Purple lilacs! Did you know that flowers had meanings to them? In this case, the flowers you painted represent first love!”

 Keith gaped, who knew flowers had meanings to them? This meaning was so relevant to the reason why he started painting flowers.

“Anywho, who were you thinking of when you painted them? I know you have a constant theme with floral paintings. I’ve always been curious!”

Keith eyed Pidge. They were leaning against Coran’s desk, giving their best poker face. Pidge knew that Keith was going to be sappy, he always was when someone brought him the reason as to why he always painted flowers.

 

“My soulmate tattoo is a flower and well, you get the idea. Flowers have always been something special to me. Hopefully I'll meet my soulmate soon."

 

Coran smiled and gave Keith a pat on his shoulder, “I’m glad I understand the meaning behind your paintings. This is why I do art. It’s a fascinating way to express your emotions," He sighed, "Speaking of art, I need to finish this painting. I'm sorry for taking up your time."

Keith shook his head, “Oh no, it’s really fine. I enjoyed this talk. I’ll see you tomorrow, professor.”

As Keith and Pidge walked out, Pidge pondered, “Hm, who knew flowers had special meanings behind them? You should’ve asked him about your tattoo, maybe it represented something”

“There’s always next time,” Keith shrugged as Pidge nodded their head in agreement.

Pidge was talking about her robotics class, but Keith couldn’t help but zone out. Perhaps he should look more into flowers and their representation. It was a good thing that Keith took pictures of his artworks before submitting it to Coran. Now, he could look back into it and figure out the meanings behind the flowers he painted.

 

“Earth to Keith! Are you even listening to me?” shouted Pidge as they waved their hands in front of Keith’s eyes.

 

Keith blinked, “Sorry Pidge, I was just thinking about something.”

“It’s fine, I get it. Anyways, the place we’re going to is café,. It’s called… Voltron I think? Strange name, I know, but the beverages and the pastries there are amazing! It’s not that far from our university, just a ten minute stroll.”

“I’m sold, Let’s go.”

 

-

 

The storefront of Café Voltron was really pleasing. It had a modern feel to it and it was complemented with plants like roses around the store. Keith opened the door just as a man with brown hair brushed by him. The interior design of the store made him feel warm inside and it was just aesthetic in general.

“So, what do you think?” said Pidge.

Keith blinked and shook his head from his state of awe, “This place is absolutely gorgeous. How come I’ve never heard of this place?”

Pidge let out a snort, “Oh, I don’t know… Maybe it’s because you’re never outside?”

Keith gave Pidge a little push before walking up to the front.

“Pidge, is that you?” said the cashier. It was a large man with tan skin and black hair. He had an orange headband wrapped around his forehead and he was wearing a black polo underneath his apron.

“Keith, this is my good friend Hunk Garrett.” introduced Pidge.

Keith let out a hand, “It’s nice to finally meet you. Pidge is always talking about you.”

Hunk chuckled and shook his hand, “Good things I hope. So what can I get you guys?”

Pidge motioned Hunk to come closer and then whispered into his ear. He gave out a gasp and looked at Keith, “This is your first time here? Boy, are you in for a treat! Take a seat and I’ll be right back!”

Hunk disappeared into the backroom and Keith looked at Pidge. They had a shitface grin on their face.

“Should I be worried?”  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! This is a bit of a messy chapter, but I do hope you guys enjoy it!
> 
> Allura will be introduced next time. Lance will show up eventually (though he had a small appearance in this chapter :3c )  
> I had no idea how to end this chapter, so I'm sorry that it was so abrupt D:
> 
> I hope you guys have a good weekend and until next time!


	3. for him.

“What is this exactly?”

Keith and Pidge sat down on the stools at the counter and Hunk came back with a plateful of pastries. There were a variety of macaroons, cakes, and tarts. Keith would be lying if he said that his mouth wasn’t watering.

Hunk smiled, “Only the best sweets in the whole galaxy.” He pointed at each sweet and explained what they were, grabbing Keith’s attention. He’s always had a sweet tooth and this was only making the problem of him having high sugar levels even higher.

Once Pidge and Keith (but mostly Keith) finished up the plate, it was Hunk’s break. He joined the two of them and sat next to Keith.

“So Keith, I’m assuming you’re a student at Altea right?” Keith nodded, “Yeah, I’m an art major. How about you?”

“I’m an engineering major at Altea. My classes are always in the evening so I can have time to work at Voltron. Pidge joined into the conversation by clearing their voice. Hunk and Keith turned their head towards them as they spoke, “Speaking of Altea... Hunk, you should totally come to the art exhibit! Keith’s artworks are being displayed and I assure you they are works painted from a god.”

Hunk directed his head back to Keith as Keith fumbled with his fingers. “Wow, you must be really good if you got praised by Pidge. I’ll see if I can come! What are your paintings on?”

Keith has been asked this question so many times, he lost count. Of course, he’s never tired of telling people as to why he’s painting flowers.

“They’re just paintings of flowers. I’ve been painting flowers ever since I was able to, because of my soulmate tattoo and all. It’ll be cool if you could come, that is if you have the time to. The exhibit starts at noon and lasts until 3 p.m.”

Laying a hand against his cheek, Hunk grinned, “That’s sweet. I’ll probably bring a friend of mine to the exhibit, if you don’t mind. He’s a florist and he always appreciates anything floral.”

With fond eyes, he pointed to his neck. Marked on his neck was a blue diamond tattoo, “I remember when I came across my soulmate. Her name is Shay and she’s a geologist, if you were wondering. We bumped into each other when we were both running late for the bus stop. I could never forget that day.”

Keith couldn’t help but let out a smile. Although it didn’t seem like it, he was a sucker for romantic stuff, especially when people talked about their soulmate. He remembered the day Shiro came home with the happiest look that Keith had ever seen.

Apparently, Shiro met his soulmate, named Allura, when he was chasing after a robber who took his soulmate’s purse. After hunting them down and retrieving it, Shiro explained to Keith that the world had slowed down when he looked into her eyes and there was a warm feeling as the tattoo slowly filled with color.

Keith sighed, he wished he could experience that wholesome feeling. Seeing the look on his face, Hunk patted Keith’s back. “Don’t worry. You’re soulmate will find you before you know it.” Keith smiled, “Thanks Hunk. I know they’re out there somewhere.”

Pidge checked their watch and gaped, “Holy shit, is it already 9:30? We have our next class in fifteen. Hunk, it was really nice to see you, but we gotta go.”

After paying for their food, Hunk waved goodbye, “Thanks for coming and it was nice meeting you Keith! I’ll be sure to support you at the exhibit!” Pidge and Keith walked through the door and headed to Altea. Upon walking, Keith noticed that their walk was... too quiet.

He glanced over at Pidge and saw them frowning.

“Hey, are you okay?”

Pidge jumped and widened their eyes at the sudden comment, “Yeah, just a bit tired...”

Keith bit his lip, there was something clearly wrong but he was shit was comforting people.

“Do you want to talk about it...?” Pidge followed their eyes to the movement of their feet as they took a deep breath.

“Not yet Keith. Not...today.”

 

-

 

After a long day of college, Keith just wanted to lay face flat on his bed and die. His psychology professor assigned the class to read two chapters that were over what seemed to be fifty pages long in total that were to be done by the next time they meet. Keith walked to his apartment alone and was fumbling with the lock on the front door for a solid five minutes before finally unlocking it.

He walked in and saw two people seated on the couch. It was Shiro and Allura drinking tea and being all affectionate with each other.

Without wanting to interact with the two, he just have them both a small wave before running to his room.

It wasn’t that Keith didn’t like Allura. In fact, she was really nice and the perfect soulmate for Shiro. He just felt awkward and out of place whenever she’s around since Keith is dubbed “the third wheel.”

Changing into comfortable clothes, he laid on his bed and decided to listen to some playlist Shiro made, because why not. Keith put his phone on his bedside table and sighed as the music ran through the background. He was staring at the ceiling, just... thinking.

_‘You don't have to say I love you to say I love you,_

_Forget all the shooting stars and all the silver moons’_

 

Keith wondered if his soulmate was doing okay.

 

_‘We've been making shades of purple out of red and blue’_

 

Was his soulmate thinking about him too?

 

_‘Sickeningly sweet like honey, don't need money’_

 

Was Keith... thinking _too_ much?

 

_‘All I need is you_

_All I need is you, you’_

 

Keith closed his eyes.

 

“I hope we meet soon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh boy, sorry for not updating as soon as i could have hoped D:
> 
> school is killing me and i’m sorry if the chapter is a bit messy!!
> 
> truth be told, im just channeling my inner self into keith bc im a pining mess!1!!1 i actually spend like hours just staring at the ceiling while listening to music,, just thinking bc geez i got it bad lmfao
> 
> the song at the end was “for him.” by troye sivan (i was totally not listening to a klance playlist when making this chapter ( ◔ ʖ̯ ◔ ) )
> 
> anyway, hoped you guys enjoyed the chapter! until next time! :)


	4. Myosotis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here I am at 1 AM updating this fic because #procrastination
> 
> I am so sorry for not updating as soon as possible D:  
> School is killing me!
> 
> Anyways, thank you for 60+ kudos! I appreciate it!
> 
> I hope you guys like this chapter, I promise it's getting somewhere ;))))

Seconds turned into minutes. Minutes turned into hours. Hours turned into days.

It's Friday now, the day of the art exhibit. The past few days were a blur and quite repetitive. It was the same thing every day. Keith would wake up, go to class, eat, paint, and then go to sleep. It was a good thing that it was Friday, Keith had no classes scheduled (thankfully) so he slept in for a few hours before actually getting ready.

It was 9:45 a.m. and the art exhibit started at noon. Along with Keith, there were going to be a ton of art majors displaying their works. He'd be lying if he said that he wasn't curious as to what the other artworks would look like. That's what Keith liked so much about art; there were so many ways to convey what a person was feeling. Sure, it might take a few minutes to interpret what the artist was trying to do, but once you see understand the overall meaning, it's neat.

Keith wasn't the most fashionable person in the world, judging from the color scheme of his wardrobe. He didn't really care as to what he was going to wear to the exhibit, so he just put on black shirt imprinted with "MOTHMAN IS REAL" in white, black ripped jeans, his usual converse high tops in black, and a red beanie, just because. Sure, he could have worn something more formal, but he doubted that anyone would judge him for what he was wearing. Well, maybe they would judge him on his shirt.

Keith went into the kitchen and made instant noodles. Shiro was the resident cook in the apartment, but he already left for his work and Keith was absolute shit at cooking in general. As he waited for the noodles to cool down from the hot water, he received a text.

**9:56 A.M.**

**Shiro:** Hey! Turns out I'm able to go to your exhibit :P I'll see you then.

 **Shiro:** Also, Allura is coming with me. Hope you don't mind.

Keith blinked. He didn't mind at all, he just felt so awkward around Allura because he knew absolutely nothing about her. Shiro introduced Keith to her as his soulmate and that's pretty much all he knew about her.

**9:57 A.M.**

**Keith:** that's cool, and yeah i don't mind at all.

 **Keith:** just refrain from embarrassing me in public.

 **Shiro:** No promises ;)

 **Keith:** fuck you

He sighed and set his phone down as he ate his noodles. This day was going to be interesting.

-

Keith walked to his university and then into the museum where the art exhibit was placed. He grabbed his phone from his pocket and looked at the time. It was only 10:15 A.M. As soon as he stepped inside the building, Professor Coran approached him.

"Ah, Keith! There you are! Are you excited about this? Maybe feeling a bit nervous?"

Keith scratched his head, "I'm more nervous than excited. There is going to be a lot of people showing up and there are going to see my works. That is definitely nerve-wrecking."

Giving Keith a pat on the shoulder, Coran gave a warm smile that was mostly hidden behind his ginger mustache, "Don't worry a thing, my boy. Your works are beautiful. I know for a fact that people will definitely be mesmerized by it." See, this is why Keith liked Coran so much. Yes, he is a bit goofy and weird at times, but deep down, he's understanding and knows what to say to comfort someone.

"Thanks professor, I really appreciate the encouragement. Speaking of my works... do you know where my gallery is at?"

"Right, follow me."

Coran turned his back and walked while Keith followed. As they were walking, Keith was looking around and was in a state of awe. There were a lot of beautiful pieces. A girl in his class, named Plaxum (At least, that's what Keith thinks her name is) painted a gorgeous ocean piece with jellyfish swimming in the that seemed to be glowing. She seemed to have an underwater vibe for her theme and it felt calming.

Keith almost bumped into Coran when he abruptly stopped.

"Here we are, Keith."

"Oh...wow."

That's all Keith could really say. The lighting bounced back the golden frame of each of Keith's paintings and created a elegant glow to the flowers. It gave life to the flowers and made each of them a vibrant gleam. Who knew that he would be standing here with his artworks on display? Keith didn't, that's for sure.

"Good choice on the gold frames, it really captures the viewer's eye." said Coran, who then checked his watch, "Anywho! It's 10:22. I want you to meet near the entrance at 11:45 along with everyone else so we can have a big talk. In the meantime, you can view other galleries or go somewhere to, as the kids say these days, "chill" with your friends to pass the time. I'll see you later." Coran waved Keith goodbye, and it was just Keith and his paintings.

 

_Bzzzt._

 

Keith checked his phone. A text from an unknown number?

**10:23 A.M.**

**???:** Good news, I can go to your exhibit!

 **Keith:** cool... who is this?

**10:26 A.M.**

**???:** Oops, forgot to mention that. It's Hunk! Pidge gave me your number.

 **Keith:** oh lmao, hey

Keith added the new number to his contacts. For once, he was socializing with someone who wasn't a Holt, or his brother.

 **Hunk:** I think I've mentioned this before, but I'm bringing my good friend to the exhibit.

 **Hunk:** He's a florist and I told him about your theme! He seemed interested.

 **Hunk:** I hope you don't mind?

 **Keith** : yeah, no worries!

 **Keith:** maybe he could tell me about what each flower means. i had no idea flowers had meanings

 **Hunk:** Oh boy, one mention of that and he'll talk for hours about it.

 **Hunk:** I have to get back to work. I'll see you in a little bit!

 **Keith:** bye.

-

11:45 A.M. Fifteen minutes until it's time.

Every student was circled around Coran. He cleared his throat before giving out instructions.

"Okay everyone! Be sure you are at your gallery five minutes before the doors are open. When people approach you, be sure to answer their questions and explain what your theme is. I am proud of all of you. You gave in your blood, sweat, and tears for this art exhibit. Everyone, give yourselves a round of applause."

Everyone clapped, with huge smiles. Coran nodded his head, "In addition, there will be a "donation jar" at each gallery and the money will go to charities to fund the future art programs in middle and high schools. The most donated jar will be able to feature one of their works in the Seattle Art Museum! Also, everyone will be receiving extra credit for partaking in this exhibit. Right then, you all have a few minutes to yourself before everything is open. Good luck!"

Coran walked off and everyone immediately went into conversation. Keith, on the other hand, just went to his gallery. He didn't really know anyone, so what's the point in having small talk?

Plugging his earphones into his phone, he decided to listen to music to pass the time. Keith hit shuffle on his playlist and sat on a bench that was near his gallery.

_'When I wake up, the dream isn't done_

_I wanna see your face and know I've made it home._

_If nothing is true, what more can I do?_

_I am still painting flowers for you woah oh'_

He stopped the music and put his phone away. That is enough music for today.

-

At last, the clock struck noon and soon the people of Seattle were pouring in. It was interesting to see new faces. People were coming up to his gallery and asking questions, mostly questions on why he painted and how he felt when he was painting. A few minutes after, Shiro and Allura showed up.

"Keith!"

Keith, who was talking to a group of people, finished his conversation and went towards the couple. He gave Shiro a hug and Allura an acknowledged smile.

"I'm glad you both were able to make it. How do you like the gallery?" It was Allura's turn to smile, "It's absolutely stunning, especially the golden frames! It compliments your flowers very well."

Shiro nodded in agreement, "I'm really proud of you Keith. Is anyone else coming besides Pidge?"

"Thank you guys, I appreciate it a lot. Besides Pidge, their friend Hunk is going. He said he was going to bring a friend too, so that's cool I guess."

"Alright, well, Allura and I will be walking around. See you later Keith." Keith waved them goodbye and sighed as they left. Three more hours, you can do this.

Keith turned around to stare at the painting of the purple lilacs. He had a strange feeling when he was looking at it.

 

"Purple lilacs represent first love."

 

Keith widened his eyes. His wrist was warming up and the world seemed to slow down.

 

What the _fuck_.

 

He held his breath, and looked down. The flower that was once blank was now filled with blue. With a shaky breath, he turned around.

There stood a tall man with tan skin and chocolate brown hair. He was wearing a NASA shirt complimented with a denim jacket, black jeans, and white vans. He grabbed Keith's right wrist, inspecting the tattoo. His blue eyes met with Keith's indigo eyes and he smiled.

"Your tattoo is a forget-me-not. It symbolizes true love." Letting go of his wrist, the man held up his left wrist. Imprinted on it was a colored paintbrush.

 

"My name is Lance McClain and I'm your soulmate."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *queue me screaming*
> 
>  
> 
> our favorite cuban boy is here and oh boy, let's see what happens next time :)
> 
>  
> 
> until next time! see you guys later!


	5. Bouquet of Art

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y’all,, i’m so sorry i haven’t updated in like FOREVER.  
> also the title sucks bc idk what to name it lol :(((  
> hopefully this makes up for something!!
> 
> enjoy the chapter!

What the actual fuck? Is this even real life?

Keith was shaking at this point. His whole life was leading up to this moment. The moment he finally meets his soulmate. He needed a second to sink this all in.  
“I...I can’t believe this.” Keith let out a laugh and shook the hand Lance was holding out.

“You’re my soulmate.”

Lance gave Keith the brightest smile he has ever seen in his life and gave him a tight hug. It made Keith feel warm and home. They both let go, still having smiles on their faces.

“So, are you going to give me your name or am I just going to have to refer to you as ‘soulmate’ for the rest of our lives?”

Our lives. He was going to spend the rest of his life with Lance. Keith thought of all the things they would do together; cuddle, watch conspiracy theories (Keith hoped Lance would be into stuff like that), go on dates, ki–  
He shook his head, now was not the time to think about that.

“Right, the name’s Keith. Keith Kogane.”

“Keith Kogane, huh? Has a nice ring to it.” Lance stood near Keith and pointed to the paintings on the walls. “You painted all of these, hm?”

“Yeah, I mean...you could’ve guessed from your tattoo.” teased Keith.

“You got me there,” laughed Lance. “If you don’t mind me asking, why flowers?”

Oh, this old question. Keith’s face flushed and he looked away, seeming to focus anywhere but Lance’s eyes.

“I painted them because of you. I mean, I’ve waited my whole life to meet you. I had no idea what the flower tattoo meant, there’s a lot of possibilities. Although, the thought of you being a florist occurred once...”

Lance clicked his tongue, which made Keith turn around. He had his fingers in a gun shape, “Bingo! I’m a florist.” Lance put away the gun shape on his fingers and put his hand on Keith’s shoulder.

“But really, that’s incredibly sweet of you, painting flowers for someone you were destined to meet. I should’ve done something like that, honestly. Maybe I can set up a bouquet for you? I don’t know, I’ll think of something, promise.”

Keith overlapped his hand on Lance, “You really don’t have to do that. I’m just happy I finally found you.”

They spent a minute or two just staring at each other’s eyes before they were interrupted by two familiar figures.

“Lance! Don’t go wandering out without me!”  
Keith looked behind Lance and saw Hunk, with Pidge following behind.

Hunk’s eyebrows shot up, “Hey Keith! Looks like you and Lance met.” He eyed their hands, “Like... really met.”  
Pidge narrowed their eyes before walking towards Keith and grabbing his wrist. Their eyes widened.  
“Holy shit Keith! Is he...Did you find...? Oh my god.”  
Hunk was confused, “Pidge? Lance? What in the world is going on?”

Lance gave Hunk a concerned smile before grabbing Keith’s hand. “Hunk, Pidge, this is my soulmate! Judging from the conversation, I’m guessing you guys have met?”

Keith scratched his head, “Yeah, Pidge is a good friend of mine and they introduced me to the cafe Hunk worked at.”

Hunk was in complete shock, “I’m in awe, honestly. I can’t believe that Lance, my best friend, is your soulmate!”

Keith couldn’t believe it either. He had been dreaming about this one moment for the entirety of his life. Now that it actually happened, it just feels like a really good dream that you don’t want to wake up from.

Tightening the grasp, Lance gave Keith a look, “I can’t believe it either. Who knew I would have met Keith here, out of all the of places in the world? It was a really good idea that you invited me here, Hunk. Otherwise, it might have taken our meeting another few months or even years!”

The three of them, Hunk, Lance, and Pidge, were talking but all Keith could do was zone out and stare at Lance’s features. How could he be so lucky? It seemed as if the world was slowing down when he saw Lance laugh or smile. As Keith was looking at Lance, Lance caught his eye and leaned in to kiss him at the cheek.

Realizing his action, Lance jumped, “Oh shit, was that too soon? I’m sorry, it just came out of nowhere–“  
Keith let out a laugh, “No, it’s fine! It was just unexpected.”  
The two of them were just smiling at each other when Pidge coughed awkwardly.

“Right, so... There are a few pieces I want to see in this exhibit. I don’t know if our “Loverboy Lance” will be with his other for the rest of the day, but I don’t want to stay here and see the two of you being all... gross.”

“Of course, I forgot... I was so caught up in the moment.” Lance gave Pidge an apologetic smile, “I just want to stay with Keith for a few more minutes. After all, the reason why I wanted to come to the exhibit was to examine the floral paintings you guys talked about. Don’t worry, once I’m done, I’ll text you guys.”

Hunk gave a pat on Lance’s shoulder, “Alright, we’ll see you soon.” He gave Keith an acknowledged nod, “It was nice seeing you, Keith! We’ll come back when the exhibit is almost over to see your paintings again in depth.”

With the two of them waving goodbye, it was just Keith and Lance.

-

“So... Talk flowers to me.”

Keith let out a snort, “Talk flowers to you? Says the one who’s a florist. I’m just an artist painting flowers, I have no idea what they mean.”

“Alright, let me attract you with my amazing florist abilities. Lead me to a few of your favorite paintings and I’ll tell you what they mean!”

Keith shrugged, “I mean, I g—“

Lance interrupted, “With a _price_!”

Keith stared at Lance for a minute, trying to comprehend what he was saying.  
“You want me to give you... money? I don’t have cash on me right now.”

Lance shook his head, “Oh no, that’s not what I meant! What I meant was I talk to you about what each of your paintings mean _if._..”

“... _If_?” wondered Keith.

“ _If_ you go on a date with me!”

 ** _Oh_**.

“Alright, a date for the price of flowers. You’ve got yourself a deal.”

Lance smirked at Keith, “So, tell me. Which painting is your favorite?”

-  
Keith led Lance to a painting that was underneath one of the gallery’s lights. It was a painting of a a flower that he had seen at one of his relative’s wedding and its aroma was delightful. The painting featured the flower, which were white, surrounded by the greenness around it. It seemed like a white rose to Keith, but at the same time, it didn’t look like one.

When Keith looked over at Lance, his blue eyes were practically sparking, like the glistening of the ocean.

“This is a gardenia, it’s such a beautiful flower. You know, in Victorian times, gardenias were given to people you had feelings of love for, but wanted it to be anonymous. That’s why gardenias represents an untold love. It can also be given to show the person how lovely they are.”

Keith nodded. Truth be told, he was fascinated by the history of flowers. It was good that he had Lance by his side.

The next hour or so, the two of them jumped from painting to painting, with Lance acting as a guide to Keith by talking to him about the flowers. At this point, Keith realized almost all of his paintings, coincidentally, represented something related to love. He was so deprived of love.

They made it to the last painting; the one outshone the others. It was in the middle of his exhibit and Keith actually knew the meaning to this one. It was the purple lilacs he had painted recently.

  
Just as Lance was about to say something, Keith interjected, “Purple lilacs represent first love.”

“I thought you didn’t know anything about flowers! This was my time to impress you!” huffed Lance, in a playful tone.

Keith laughed, “I don’t, that’s really the only thing I know about purple lilacs.“

“Lilacs are beautiful, they’re one of my favorite flowers to arrange. Tell me, what’s your favorite flower?”

Keith had to think about it for a minute. Did he really have a favorite flower? “Well... I suppose I like those red carnations and the forget-me-nots.”

Lance pondered for a little while, “Hmm... I’ll keep that in mind.”

Just then, there was a buzzing in Lance’s pocket. He shuffled into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Swiping to the right, he answered the call.

“Hello..? Oh, Hunk! Yeah, we’re finishing up talking flowers, how about you? There’s an exhibit featuring futuristic technology? Okay, see you soon. Bye.”

Keith raised his eyebrow and Lance shrugged, “Hunk and Pidge, big nerds. You can tell from the conversation, but they want to go to the exhibit showing the future... I guess? Anyway, do you want to come with me?”

Looking down at his watch, he supposed he could spare a few minutes. “Okay, sure. I can only spare fifteen minutes though. The person who painted that was a girl... I think her name was Nooma? I don’t really know my classmates.”

Lance breathed in and let out a quick “ _BOI_...” before Keith grabbed his hand and ran over to the exhibit.

This day has been perfect, so far anyway.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oooo it’s about to get real next chapter i swear 
> 
> also i didn’t know how to end the chapter so i might edit that to something better idk
> 
> until next time! ♡


	6. Dreams ≠ Reality

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY IM BACK!!!!!!  
> im so sorry i haven't updated in forever, school is a literal shit storm!!!!!  
> enjoy this chapter, i did my absolute best. i had no idea how to continue the story from last time :-(

The past hour or two has been such a blur to Keith. In fact, it didn't even feel like reality; it was a unreal dream. 

Here he was, holding hands with his  _soulmate_ in the gallery. They were heading to one of Keith's classmate's exhibit, Nyma, to meet up with Hunk. Nyma had intricate paintings, which is all Keith could really remember about her. He wasn't, and still isn't, a sociable person. Most of the time, Shiro or Pidge had to introduce him to new people, like Hunk and Allura. Her paintings were beautiful and futuristic, which made Keith wonder about her personality. He made a mental note to attempt to talk to her.

They made it to Nyma's exhibit, where Lance and Keith both saw Hunk and Pidge talking with a tall girl with blonde hair, styled in a half bun hairdo. She was wearing a yellow sweater, denim jeans, and checkered shoes. Noticeably, she had a necklace that shimmered under the light. It was silver and was quite minimalistic, as it just had the letter “R”.

'So this must be Nyma.' thought Keith. He wouldn't expect someone like her to be interested in technology, it certainly gave Keith a bigger perspective on the different interests artists can each have.

Hunk turned his head around and saw Keith and Lance, giving the two a wave before greeting them. "Hey you two, look at these paintings! They're incredibly amazing. And Lance, you would never guess who painted them."

He wasn't lying, the paintings were stellar. Nyma gave a small chuckle, "Thank you so much, I put a lot of effort into my works. I'm doing my best to be, well, the best." She turned her head towards Keith and smiled. "Keith Kogane, right? Presumably the best in our class, I must say. Your floral paintings are so intricate and real. No doubt, your donation jar will have the most." 

Nyma then turned to Lance and her smile faded for a second, but then she kept it upright. "Lance! It's been a while, hm?" Keith glanced at Lance and there was fear in his face. Lance gulped and gave a nervous smile, "H-Hey Nyma." Keith frowned, how did the two of them know each other? And, why on earth has Lance's behavior shifted?

Pidge was the first to ask, "Do you guys know each other?" Nyma smiled, "Of course we do! We were classmates during high school. Brings back a few good memories." "Uh, right. It was nice seeing you Nyma and your works, but Lance and I need to, uh, see my brother." said Keith, as he saw the distress in Lance's face. Hunk and Pidge waved, "We'll see you guys when it's closing time at your exhibit." Keith nodded and guided Lance outside of the gallery.

-

They both sat down at the bench, Keith putting his arm around Lance. 

"Lance, what's wrong?"

Lance sighed, "Nyma... she brings back horrible memories. You know how some people date before finding their soulmate? Well, Nyma and I were dating sophomore year, just because I guess, and she made my life  _absolute hell._ I was never really serious about her, she just sort of forced me to become her girlfriend. We only dated for a few months and long story short, I dumped her because I couldn't take her anymore."

Breathing in, he continued. "Nyma proceeded to make the rest of my sophomore year and junior year a living nightmare with name-calling and spreading rumors with her whole squad, mainly a guy named Rolo, telling everyone I was gay because I wasn't interested in her and you know, the usual homophobic things. She transferred schools near the end of junior year, and it took a while for me to be comfortable with who I am. Hunk doesn't even know about my past with Nyma because he was a new student just a few weeks after she left. I don't want him to ever know, even though he's my best friend."

A few tears came out of Lance's eyes and he rubbed them away. "I'm sorry Keith, this is our first day meeting each other and here I am just acting like a loser in front of you." Lance said, staring at the ground. Keith furrowed his eyebrows and moved a hand to Lance's face, prompting him to look up. Lance's blue eyes showed a storm in an ocean, rather than a calming sea. "You are anything _but_ a loser. You have family and friends that love you. Even though we just met today, you're my soulmate and  _I love you._ Don't ever forget that." 

Lance gave a smile and Keith gave one back, prompting a hug. "Thank you, love. It does mean a lot to me that you said that." 

-

Walking back in, Keith saw Shiro and Allura running towards them. "Keith, there you are!" said Shiro, panting. "We were looking all over for you!"

He furrowed his eyebrows, "What's going on? Why were you guys looking for me?" Allura took a deep breath, "Keith, you need to see this. It's... damaging."

The four of them ran across the gallery to stand right in front of Keith's exhibit. There were security officers blocking the view and people were whispering. Lance spoke up, "What's with all the commotion?" A security officer turned around, "Are you the artist of this exhibit?" Keith stepped towards the officer, "I am the artist. What's going on?"

"You need to see it for yourself."

The security officer stepped away and Keith's eyes widened. Almost every single painting was ripped. His centerpiece, the lilac painting, was slashed the most into bits; you couldn't even tell what it was anymore. On the ground were pieces of glass, canvas remains, and a knife. Trying to remain calm, Keith looked at the officer, "Did no one see who did this?" The officer sighed, "We asked everyone around during the time it happened, and all the witnesses said they only saw a person dressed in black with a mask on. They reported that they took the charity jar after ruining the picture and ran."

Keith was trying to process all of this, how did this even happen? Who in their right mind would even do something like this? Lance glanced at Keith and pulled him close, patting his back. "Officer, is there anyway you can figure out who did this? Perhaps, with the security footage or whatever?"

The security officer nodded his head, "We will see what we can do. We'll collect the knife for the evidence. In the mean time, please file out a report so we can come back to you if we have any leads." Keith sighed and took the clipboard from one of the other security officers and filled it out. They placed tape around the exhibit so no one would be able to come close to it.

"This is unlawful. Don't they realize how much work you've put into this?" Allura said. Keith looked up at the ceiling. It was true, he spent so many hours and days finishing his exhibit. What was the point of doing something like this?

It's no wonder though, reality wasn't good enough to be a dream.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> o SHIT WHAT  
> a soulmate story turned into a not-really-mystery story????  
> honestly i think im just bullshitting my way into this fic im so sorry  
> also i added something in the chapter four (i think) about the donation jar and i hope that didn't throw you off,, ooof  
> anyway IM ON WINTER BREAK SO EXPECT MORE CHAPTERS OUT11!!  
> \+ thank you for 190+ kudos! i wouldn't have expected my writing to even reach that amount lol  
> i appreciate all of you and thank you so much for reading <3  
> until next time, later!!


	7. Gomphrena Globosa

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey it’s me, ur girl 
> 
> i wrote this at 2 in the morning so i’m praying there’s no mistakes in it
> 
> i quite like this chapter, so i hope you guys enjoy it as well!
> 
>  
> 
> ~~my writing sucks but u guys make me keep going i LOVE YOU ALL~~

So, life _definitely_ sucked.

Just as Keith’s day reached a high, it made a flip and went downhill.

That’s just... really great.

Keith sighed, there was really nothing he could do except wait for the security officers to examine the video footage. For some dumb reason, they’re not going to check it until the exhibit is closed. That’s not until _another three hours_.

So what was Keith going to do for three whole hours?

Seeing the distraught state of Keith, Lance gave Keith an reassured smile and took his hand, giving it a little squeeze.  
“Hey, don’t worry. They’ll figure out the culprit.”  
Keith smiled back. At least that seemed to calm down his nerves a bit.

But even then, he was still trying to wrap his head around this situation. What was  the point of destroying his gallery? Why was _he_ the victim?

Putting him out of his trance, Lance whispered into Keith’s ear, “Do you want to get out of here?”

Keith looked at Lance, giving him a puzzled look.

Lance‘s cheeks flushed and he looked away, “I want to show you a place that helps me calm down in situations like this. It’s not much, but it hurts seeing you in this state.”

This surprised Keith, honestly. He pulled Lance into a hug, “Thank you. It really means a lot to me.” Keith could feel Lance smile as he hugged back. “Anything for you.”

They unraveled, much to Keith’s dismay. The warmth of Lance’s body was comforting, like the colors of the golden hour. The duo left the museum doors and while they were walking, Keith shot Shiro a quick message for their whereabouts.

 **3:15 P.M.**  

 **Keith:** hey, lance and i are out of the museum

 **Keith:** if you were wondering.

 

**3:18 P.M.**

**Shiro:** Alright, thanks for letting me know

 **Shiro:** You okay, by the way?

 

**3:22 P.M.**

**Keith:** yeah, just trying to get things off of my mind

 **Shiro:** Okay. Stay safe

 

Keith and Lance were walking around downtown. To pass the time, they were talking a bit about themselves so they would get to know each other. Even though they had just met today, Lance felt like an friend he had known for years.

Majority of the time, Lance was the one who was talking, but that was okay with Keith; he liked hearing his voice. Lance was talking about his family and stories of his nieces and nephews. It was adorable, really.

”So... are you a fanatic of conspiracy theories?” asked Lance. Keith scoffed, “What gave it away?”  
“Oh, I don’t know, maybe... possibly... your shirt? It’s literally screaming that you are a believer of the supernatural.”  
“Hey, you don’t know what’s out there! And for the record, Mothman is very real.”  
Lance laughed, and, boy, was it music to Keith’s ears. “Okay, whatever you say. Oh, we’re finally here!”

In front of them stood a store decorated with the most beautiful flowers Keith had ever seen. It seemed as if they were glistening under the sunlight. “Oh, wow.” was all Keith could really say.

“I know, right? Wait until you see the inside!” Lance unlocked the door for Keith and walked in after the other did.

The inside was filled with flowers and you could practically see sparkles. The place was flooded with the smell of flowers and it was... glorious.

 

* * *

 

Keith was clearly in a state of awe, and he looked so mesmerized.

 

‘This boy is beautiful.’ thought Lance.

 

Interrupting the silence, Lance asked, “So, what do you think of the place? It’s amazing, isn’t it?”

Keith blinked a few times and then looked at him, “It really is. What is this place exactly?”

Taking Keith’s hand, Lance walked around with him, “Welcome to The Garden of Lions! I didn’t make the name, trust me. I actually work here. It’s a nice environment to be in, calming too.”

He continued, “I’ve been working here for a few months now and I love seeing the new faces that show up through that door. It feels nice to help someone, you know?”

They both walked around, Keith occasionally asking about flowers and Lance’s job. It felt wholesome and sweet at the same time.

 

“Oh, what’s this flower?”

 

Lance saw Keith point to a group of purples. They were small and round inflorescences. Lance touched the stems of the flowers softly, “These are globe amaranths. They’re commonly used in leis, you know? Underrated, but beautiful.”

Keith hummed, “And do they represent anything?”  
Lance smiled, “I’m not telling you until we have our first date!”  
Keith sighed, “You’re unbelievably cruel.”

 

* * *

 

This was the most fun Keith has had in a while. Lance just seemed to fit in with the whole vibe of the flower shop.  
Just then, Keith’s phone vibrated. He took it out and saw he received a text from Shiro.

**4:15 P.M.**

**Shiro:** Hey, you should come back

 **Shiro:** The police found a piece of evidence

 **Shiro:** Maybe you’ve seen it somewhere?

 

Lance was in the middle of watering a group of carnations and asked, “Who was that?”

“It was Shiro. Apparently the police found another piece of evidence and he wants me to come back to the museum.”

Lance put the watering can down, “Alright, let’s go. Tell him we’ll be there in fifteen.”

**4:17 P.M.**

**Keith:** arriving in 15

 

The two left the store, with Lance making sure he locked the door, and headed back to the museum.

 

* * *

 

  
They finally made it to the museum and scurried to what was left of Keith’s gallery. There, Keith saw Shiro and Allura talking to a few policemen.

Upon seeing Keith, Shiro spoke, “Sorry to have you back so soon, but like I said, the police found something.  
Keith turned to the police standing next to Shiro and he was holding a necklace that was sparkling silver. It had the letter “N” hanging out of it.

It looked so oddly familiar... Where had he seen it before?

“Keith! Oh my gosh, I heard what happened!”

Turning to the source of the voice, Keith saw Nyma rushing towards him. However, it wasn’t Nyma he was looking at.

He was stearing at the chain around her neck with the letter “R” on it.

And it was staring right back at him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh who could it be, what a huge mystery!1!1!2 
> 
> i’m honestly procrastinating on my homework so i’m probably going to update another chapter real soon!  
>    
> i’m definitely aiming to write more than 1k+ words per chapter, so... let’s hope? lmao
> 
> anyway, thank you so much for 225+ kudos! you guys are the best and i love you all so much!!!!!
> 
> until next time! ♡


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